Opening and closure device



Nov. 4, 1958 1 H; JOHNSON 2,353,961

7 OPENING AND CLOSURE DEVICE Fiid July 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

THOMAS H. JOHNSON ATTORNEY I 1958 T. H. JOHNSON 2,353,961

OPENING AND CLOSURE DEVICE Filed July 18, 1956 I v 2 Sheets-Shee't 2 INVENTOR.

THOMAS H. JOHNSON ATTORNEY United States Patent Q a OPENING AND CLOSURE DEVICE Thomas H. Johnson, Old Saybrook, Conn. Application July 18, 1956, Serial No. 598,578 4 Claims. (Cl. 222--81) This invention relates to an her for containers.

Heretofore, cardboard containers have been relatively difficult to open. Even though the opening tab is scored or perforated it is difiicult to puncture the cardboard container and to tear the opening precisely along the perforated lines. On the other hand, if a metal pouring spout is employed, the spout usually becomes displaced after repeated use and becomes difiicult to operate. The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an opener and closure member for a carton and the like which is extremely simple to insert and remove from a carton and forms an effective, positive closure for the carton when the carton is not in use.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an opener and closure member which is provided with a knife-like cutting element that may be utilized as a cutter to completely sever the tops of cartons, boxes or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide an opening and closure member for cardboard containers and additionally for cans which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and effective for the purposes intended.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of lateral wing elements which function as a locking means for the opener and closure member and as a finger guard when the device is used as cutting element or knife.

The above and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings in. which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the opener and closure member constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated in the state of application to a card board container,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the opener and closure member in its blank form after being punched out of a sheet metal strip,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view thereof in its assembled condition,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the opener and closure member for cartons, cans and the like embodying my invention may be used for commodities such as rice, cereal, soap, sugar, salt and powder. Obviously, other products of similar physical structure may be dispensed from the device forming the present invention. The opener and closure member comprises a main body portion having a pointed punch or knife element 12. This knife element 12 has :a serrated or crimped leading or forward edge portion 14. A pair of lateral extensions or wings 16 project from body portion 10 as clearly seen in Fig. 2. Located between the knife element 12 and the lateral extensions 16 are combination finger guards and closure stops 18. It will be noted that the leading or forward edges of lateral extensions 16 are provided with serrations or crimpings 20. The purpose of the aforeopener and closure mem- 2,858,961 Patented Nov. 4, 1958 said crimping will become more apparent hereinafter. The free ends of lateral extensions 16 are secured together in any suitable manner, for example, by welding, or interlocking to form a complementary bowed construction leaving a rather large opening therebetween. Although it is preferable to punch a device forming the present invention from a sheet metal strip it is within the scope of the present invention to manufacture the same out of plastic, wood or wood products. The end portion 22' of the main body 10 is pointed in shape and forms a lip which fully closes the opening made in the box by the device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

.The angular relationships of the elements of the present invention are important and critical. In this regard, the portion of the opening and closure member at the ends of extensions 16 whereby they are joined together forms an acute angle with the main body portion 10 and a rather sharp point. The knife element 12 of the main body portion 10 is of a shallow V-shape, as seen in Fig. 1, since this construction permits relatively smooth penetration of the knife element 12 through a wall of a cardboard container.

It should be noted that knife element 12 may be utilized to open up cartons, i. e. by severing the tops from cartons or boxes. In this connection, the knife element, due to its crimped construction easily penetrates an ordinary carton, such as a box of cereal. After the hole is punctured in the box the knife is used to cut entirely around the box thereby removing the top of the carton. In this function of my device as a cutter, the element 18 serve as finger guards.

My device operates as follows: The knife element 12 is inserted through a cardboard container in order to puncture the latter. Due to the presence of the crimped forward edge 14 of the knife element the incision is simple. The element 12 is provided with closure stops 18 which limitthe depth of incision of knife element 12. Slightly subsequent to the penetration of the knife element 12 in the cardboard container the pointed joinder of the lateral extensions 16 and the crimped forward edges thereof also puncture the container. Because of the bowed construction of each extension 16 a relatively large opening is made in the container 26, the cardboard material being pushed aside by the bowed lateral extensions 16 as at 28 and 30. The aforesaid action is simplified by the previous cut in the container accomplished by knife element 12. When it is desired to close the device, the body portion 10 is rotated or turned until it is parallel and abutting the side 24 of the cardboard container. In that position the lip 22 extends over the upperpart of the opening 32 in the side 24 of the container forming a reliable closure for the container. Thus, the device may be turned in one direction to open the container and turned in an opposite direction to close the same.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the latter may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described and that in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principle of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An opener and closure member for containers comprising a body portion provided with a knife element being crimped along its edges, a pair of wings extending from opposite sides of said body portion and joined together at the free ends thereof thereby defining a relatively large opening therebetween, the leading edges of crimped, and said body portion being provided with a from opposite sides of said body portion and. joined to-' gether at the free ends thereof thereby defining a relatively large opening therebetween, the leading edges of said wings forming an acute angle with said body portion, said leading edges being at least substantially crimped, and a combination finger guard and stop fixed to said body portion and projecting laterally in opposite directions therefrom.

3. An opener and closure member for containers comprising a flat body portion provided with a V-shaped knife element being crimped along its edges, 21 pair of wings positioned posterior to said knife element, said wings extending from opposite sides of said body portion and joined together at the free ends thereof thereby defining a relatively large opening therebetween, the leading edges of said wings forming an acute angle with said body portion, said leading edges being at least substantially crimped, and said body portion being provided with a lip at the end of said body portion remote from said knife element.

4. A metallic opener and closure member for containers comprising a body portion provided with a knife element being crimped along its edges, a pair of integral wings extending from opposite sides of said body portion and joined together at the free ends thereof thereby defining a relatively large opening therebetween, the leadv ing edges of said wings forming an acute angle with said finger guards and stops fixed to said body portion and projecting laterally in opposite directions therefrom.

No references cited. 

